home cinema by mardiyana rahayu

Best Home Cinema System - How To Go About Choosing The Home Cinema That's Best For You

What is the best home cinema system currently on the market?

The problem with this question is that it's only ever relative to the time of writing of this article. So we need to find a better question before we answer.

What is the best home cinema system for me based on my requirements?

Now this would be a lot better and something we can not only answer but give you some guidelines on the way to choose the home cinema system that's best for you, so here we go.

There are certain criteria you need to keep in mind when determining which system is best for you and these will consist of the following:

* What is your available budget?

* What size and type of room you have to work with?

* Are aesthetics an issue in the room?

* The type of movies you like to watch?

So, let's look at these criteria one by one to find the best home cinema system for you.

What is your available budget?

I always feel this should be one of the first questions you ask yourself when looking for the best home cinema system for you. It's perfectly ok to have a range in mind rather than an exact figure but try and avoid going out with no idea because you are then going to be prone to buying on impulse and making decisions based on what you see that day rather than what you have already planned out.

What you are going to find is that there are certain cut off points for different types of home cinema systems based on the price range and in general you are probably going to be able to categorize them into only about 5 categories which I suggest below:

* Below £1k

* £1k - £3k

* £3k - £5k

* £5k - £10k

* £10k +

Yes, there are lots of systems above £10k and the price can literally go up as high as you imagine but after £10k you really start getting into an exponential curve where a lot more money only gets you a small amount of improvement. You will also find that over this price the cost starts to increase by all the 'add ons' that you include over and above the standard audio and video requirements such as seating, decoration, acoustic treatment etc.

So try and keep one of these five price ranges in mind when you go out looking for the best home cinema system for you.

What size and type of room do you have to work with?

This will give you some ideas on the physical size and style of the speakers and TV or projection units you are going to be looking at. Bigger does not necessarily mean more expensive and nor does small mean cheap but you need to have an idea of the size of your room to determine your requirements.

The type of room will also dictate what you look for when buying such as whether it's going to be a multipurpose room or a dedicated cinema. In most cases I would suggest that it's going to be a multipurpose room and so naturally you're probably not going to want large speakers taking up space during the times it's not being used as a home cinema, or maybe you will, this is something you'll need to consider.

Are aesthetics an issue in the room?

By this I mean are you or the people you live with going to want to actually see the speakers, projector, TV or projection screen or would you prefer them to be discrete so that they are non-obtrusive in the room?

If you are looking for discrete then you need to be thinking about ways to hide these items and this needs to be taken into account in your budget. You might want to look at ceiling speakers which are flush with the ceiling and painted the same colour so that they disappear. You could also look at recessing the TV into some furniture so that it only motors up when you need it or having the projection screen recess into the ceiling when not in use. This is all possible but you will need to increase your budget in some instances to make this happen.

The type of movies you like to watch?

This sounds like a strange thing to think about but it's actually very important when choosing the best home cinema system for you. The reason is because if you only ever watch romantic films and you're not at all into big Hollywood blockbusters then you are probably not going to need a subwoofer speaker at all or if you do it's only going to need to be a small unit rather than a beast. Likewise, if you watch lots of dark horror movies then you are probably going to want to look at getting a TV rather than a projector because unless you get the room really dark and/or pay a lot of money for a really good projector you are going to find that dark films lose a lot of the detail when you watch them. This is something most people wont think of right at the beginning but is vitally important to getting the best home cinema experience for you based on your likes and dislikes.

Afterthoughts

As you can now see, choosing the best home cinema system for you depends on several factors and as always I suggest you speak to a specialist before you make any big decisions so that you can maximise your budget. Please feel free to contact us to get the best up to date advice in the industry http://HomeCinemaSystem.co/Welcome/

Home Cinema Seating - 5 Top Tips to Finding the Best Home Cinema Seats

One of the key elements that transforms your big screen TV room into a full blow home cinema is the inclusion of authentic home cinema seating. Now the level to which you go will really depend on your budget but there are many different types of home cinema seating out there that you will find you have a wealth of styles to choose from. It's not just a case of buying the first one you see though so we have compiled a list of our top 5 tips to finding the best home cinema seats to make sure you get the best bang for your buck.

1. Comfort

Now it may sound boring to consider comfort first of all when we talk about home cinema seating but it really is the most important factor. You are going to be sitting in these things for quite a long time over the course of a year and so you need to make sure that nothing takes away from your enjoyment of the film. The last thing you want to be doing is constantly adjusting things and moving around all the time.
I'm sure you have all experienced that lower quality mainstream cinema where the seating wasn't that good and you spent most of the movie moving around trying to find a comfortable position.

The only real way to find the most comfortable home cinema seating is to get out there and sit in them. So you will need to find a good local dealer who has different seats in stock so that you can try them all out and compare side by side or in this case, backside by backside!

2. Aesthetics

OK, now this is more like it I hear you say. Let's face it guys, although comfort is the most important factor we didn't build our own home cinema system just to keep for ourselves. Half the fun of it all is to show it off to your friends and family and so that is why we have included aesthetics at number two in our list of priorities.

You want to choose the home cinema seating that has a real impact with anyone the moment they step in the room and see it. The best colours to go for are going to be red and black but you can really choose anything providing it matches in with the style of your design.

Other considerations you may want to look at will be whether to go for leather finish or some kind of fabric. Now although some fabric finishes can look and feel really good you will need to keep in mind that in most cases you will have some kind of drink on or near them and inevitably over time things are going to get spilt. So if you have to go down the fabric finish route then I would make sure that it is easy to clean

3. Features

You can get home cinema seating in either fixed or reclining styles and you can also get them in either manual or electric recliners. If you want to go one step further you can even fit hydraulic systems to make them shake and move in time with the movie but be warned if you go down this route that your pockets will need to be quite deep as the price tag can ramp up quite quickly.

Another thing to consider would be cup holders and with these, try and choose which side of the chair they should be on as it seems like a small point but could be annoying if you're used to one way or another.

You may also look at fixing several seats together in a row and this can be specified with the home cinema seating company prior to order. This has the added advantage of saving a little bit of space if you have width restrictions in your design.

4. Durability

Like any product you buy and especially one with a medium to high price tag you will want to make sure that the build quality is good enough for your home cinema seating to last. This can generally be achieved by using an established manufacturing company and not some new kid on the block who is trying to undercut the market with their new inexpensive seating.

Strange as it may sound but you actually want your home cinema seating to be able to wear in a little bit to give it that used feel and you will normally get this with most quality manufacturers. The build quality of your seating will affect the comfort factor somewhat as well and so essentially you want a good balance between durability and comfort

5. Price

I have put price at the end of this list not because I suggest you go and spend a fortune on your home cinema seating but because I suggest that you have a budget in mind before you even go looking and testing them out.

You can do a small amount of research online to get a feel for the different price ranges but then once you have decided how much you are going to allocate then you can go pick and choose the best in that range using the criteria above.

Afterthoughts

I hope this information has been useful and that you now have a basic understanding of how to choose the best home cinema seating from the options out there.

As always, I love to hear about your home cinema system stories and so please let me know what seating you choose and send me pictures if possible.

Home Cinema Speakers - Your Guide to Choosing the Best Speakers to Match Your Home Cinema Design

I know from experience that choosing the right home cinema speakers can be a real pain given all the different options out there. So I have compiled a list of some of the differences between models and the things you should look out for to make sure the speakers match in with your home cinema design.

Active or Passive

If you speak to ten different home cinema specialists you will probably get ten different answers as to which is better, active or passive design. So first off let me explain the difference between the two.

Active home cinema speakers have the amplification built into the unit so they are generally heavier in design and will require a mains power connection in addition to the audio cable.

Passive home cinema speakers on the other hand require an external amplifier to make them work and so they only have an audio cable connection and do not require any local power.

So what are the pros and cons of each style?

Well, without getting too technical, when audio is transmitted it can be sent in a variety of different ways and some are better at maintaining audio quality while others may be less prone to interference and usually you will find it is trade off between the two.

For example, active home cinema speakers require an audio line level cable to make them work. Now line level transmission can be prone to interference if it is run alongside mains cables for instance. This can lead to a low 'mains' hum on top of whatever audio is coming out of the speaker which can be very annoying and degrades the quality of your home cinema.

Passive home cinema speakers on the other hand require a speaker level cable to make them work and are much less prone to interference. The trade off is that line level transmission maintains a better audio quality than speaker level and so if the cables are running over a long distance, say over 10 meters then you will get a lower quality sound reproduction.

Digital or Analogue

To go one step further you can also look at digital or analogue home cinema speakers which both work on line level transmission just one is digital and the other is analogue so let's discuss the difference.

Digital transmission sends all the audio signals in ones and zeros whereas analogue sends the signals in waves. The full difference between these two technologies is beyond the scope of this article but in essence you will find that digital speakers will be less prone to interference but will lose some of the audio quality as they have to 'round' everything to either a '1' or a '0'

Number of Drivers

Home cinema speakers are made up of different audio drivers which are essentially just cone shaped bits of paper that push air away from the speaker. They are different sizes depending on the type of sound to be reproduced and create the sound for your home cinema. In essence there are only three different types of drivers and each one deals with a different audio wavelength or to be less technical, a different sound pitch. One deals with the high end, called the 'tweeter' one deals with the middle range 'mid range' and the 3rd deals with the low end 'woofer'.

You will want to look for a speaker that has one of each of these drivers and preferably 2 or more to get the best sound reproduction. Again, I don't want to get too technical but usually more drivers are better.

Afterthoughts

Now there are many other considerations which will need to be factored in when choosing home cinema speakers such as the quality of the audio cable used to connect them and the build quality of the speakers themselves as you want to minimise internal resonance which can affect audio quality.

Epson Home Cinema 8100: How to Find the Best Deals on Epson Home Cinema 8100

Want brand new Epson Home Cinema 8100?

One of the best projectors in the market is the Epson Home Cinema 8100. If you need this item, better be sure it is what you need. Getting this with the right and affordable price in the market makes you a lucky buyer.

What are the best features of this home theatre projector?

If you are a frequent viewer of movies and other videos or you love playing online games, then the Epson Home Cinema 8100 will give you the superb audio and video result you want.

This gadget has a contrast ration of up to 36,000 and is equipped with D7 chip for an impressive video quality. This 3LCD technology can deliver excellent color detail. It is also durable that is why many other projectors in the world also uses it. Plus it provides great details of audio and video.

The Epson Home Cinema 8100 also has incredible white light and amazing color output. It uses ISO 21118 standard which is a rigid standard to ensure customers get high-quality results. Always remember that color and white light output is an important factor to consider when buying a projector so that you get the image result you are looking for. You can only get a brilliant and crisp image if these two features are made of high quality.

This unit is also cost-effective because of its E-TORL feature. It delivers more lumens per watt that lasts up to 4000 hours. This feature minimizes light leakage and light defraction and so you maximize viewing time plus lower cost of electricity.

Other features of the Epson Home Cinema 8100: 1800 lumens of color, HDMI connectivity, and powerful lens by Fujinon, cinema filter, smooth gradations, low fan noise and many more.

Where to get the best deal for the item

When you buy from the internet you get a lot of great and affordable prices. It is because there are so many distributors in the web that offers great prices to clients. Aside from great deals, you also get convenience on your online buying because of the less stress and hassle.

But, not all clients get the best of online buying especially if they do not know where to get the best deals. One can spot a good deal in minutes or end up not finding anything for a day and just waste time in surfing the net. It is because of the lack of knowledge on how to find the right website.

Although it is not always easy to use the internet when looking for a good deal, it is very possible these days. It is because there are already websites made today to cater to clients needs of getting a good deal out of the items they want to buy online. If you get hold of the link to these sites then use it to your advantage.

5 Tips to Get the Best Home Cinema For Your Budget

Choosing a home cinema system can be difficult as there are only so many brands available. One can't distinguish good from bad. This article will give you the necessary knowledge to wisely pick your future home cinema.

Display

When it come to display, the option of taking a CRT TV is the least expensive and the most popular. Many experts agrees that this option offers the best picture quality. To get the best out of your scree, get a 28in. Opt also for a 16:9 flat screen.

The bigger is better, if you decide to get a bigger screen for your home cinema (You can even find 40in sets), and you pair them with a good sound system, you will never again feel the need to go to Cinema !

Plasma screen are highly desirable. They are beautiful, they blend with their environment and beautify your living room. But they can be very expensive. And they require the good equipment to go with it. right cables are mandatory or the plasma screen will not deliver to its full power.

The DVD Player

You have to make a choice between packaged systems and separate home cinema systems. If you take the separate road, you will buy each component separately. Look around for a good DVD player. Ensure that your DVD can read most of the disc format as there a dozen available formats in the market now. Be wary of very cheap DVD player as they can be lacking after-sales and services. Do your research, check magazines and the Internet before deciding. Don't be afraid to ask for demonstration in electronic stores.

You can get DVD players for peanuts these days. Brand DVD player are available for a cheap price. There is also ultra-cheap DVD players available in supermarkets from never-heard-about brands. But nothing is guaranteed with these systems. They works, but you don't get a high quality picture or service.

The Best Sound System

Concerning the sound system, it can be quite daunting sometimes as it's very difficult to get that perfect sound if you don't know what you're doing. The easy solution is to take an All-in-one system. They are easier to install and you will get all the necessary sound components.

If you choose to get each component alone, you need to remember that there are other factors that can dictate your decision. Look around in the room where you will be putting the system, can you put these large speakers and heavy subwoofer here ? Will it blend in the environment ? Then again, All-in-one system can't compare to separates components. Sound quality is noticeably better in the second case. Bose speakers for example are stylish, compact and blend with their surroundings.

Concerning The Speakers

You just need to know that you will need a centre speaker, two rears speakers and a subwoofer. Opt for the less imposing bookshelf variety if you need space.

Where To Buy your Home Cinema

First, start by checking the Internet to get an idea about the home cinema prices. Internet company have lower costs and will be able to sell you the gears for less. Don't forget to check stores around you to get demonstration and ask them if they have a website.

Ask around for everyone's advice. Don't take a salesman pitch but rather a satisfied client advice. Shop around and you'll be sure to find the best home cinema you can afford.

home cinema of home interior 2011

Wireless Home Cinema System - How to Setup a Reliable Wireless Home Cinema

With the advances in technology it is becoming more and more possible to setup a wireless home cinema system in your home without having to run lots of cables around and start chasing into walls and ruining your decoration.

At the time of writing the technology in our opinion is not quite good enough for wireless video but wireless audio is definitely a viable solution if you are not going to look at too much of a high end system.

Wireless Home Cinema Video

The reason wireless video is not viable at present is mainly due to the bandwidth required and given the detail of the formats are increasing as well it makes it hard for technology to keep up. High definition content holds a lot of information and to transmit that real time in just not practical.

You can currently get some wireless projectors and these can either work as real time devices or as an upload and play style. The upload type store wireless uploaded content and then play it from their internal storage. Real time devices literally play the content as it is being transmitted. There is usually a small delay between the transmission from source to projector and this means that it's only really practical to use this type of transmission for static images such as power point presentations; it is currently not able to deliver motion with any degree of quality.

It is slowly becoming more possible on lower resolution screens and close proximity of transmitter to receiver. How long it will be before we see full high definition home cinema projectors I'm not sure but it's on the horizon.

Wireless Home Cinema Audio

Wireless audio is becoming quite common nowadays especially in town apartments where it may not be practical to run cables around. You will find that there is the possibility for both wireless source material to be transmitted as well as wireless audio signals to be sent to speakers.

In general audio signals carry a lot less information than video and so this means the bandwidth limitations are not so much of an issue as with video.

Afterthoughts

So how long is it going to be before we start seeing full dedicated wireless home cinema systems?

Well I still think it will be a while for dedicated home cinema systems if we even see them at all. The reason for this is because with a dedicated home cinema you are naturally going to build the room as well and so you can always plan to run the cables that you need which will always have a better transmission path than from wireless.

Home Cinema Systems and Audio Formats

Are you fond of watching movies or television shows? Then home cinema system is perfect for you.

By purchasing this, you can even make your watching experience more thrilling and fun, with its realistic effects and superb audio, perfect bonding place for you and your loved ones.

Of course, real pleasure comes from hearing sounds using the hi-fi systems as compared to a mere stereo sound system.

With the home cinema system, you need not spend money going to movie houses, since it produces the desired theater effect at the comfort of your own living room.

Samsung home cinema is one of the most liked and admired home theater nowadays. This brand is known for its latest and most updated models of television entertainment kits.

Audio Formats To be able to deliver the wonderful surround sound quality, the home cinema system makes use of different audio formats-the most common are the DTS and Dolby Digital.

These formats use various syntax as well as coding schemes to perceptually compress audio. In the recent times, different debates arise as to which surround sound format is the best. This article provides a better understanding on the differences of the audio formats, particularly the two above mentioned.

DTS. Normally encoded at a higher data rate than the other audio formats, DTS is believed by many home cinema system enthusiasts to have the better quality of audio than its counterparts (like the Dolby Digital).

Its features like improved signal-to-noise ratio, improved dynamic range, better representation of subtle detail in audio content are just some of the reasons why many people prefer this kind of surround sound to be at their living room.

DTS believers argue that, the one with the higher bit-rate (DTS) is understandable to have the better sound quality during playback. DTS has also the lower compression.

Hence, they are solely basing their conclusion on the compression figures and raw bit rates.

Dolby Digital. The Dolby Digital supporters, however, have different argument counteracting the claims of the DTS believers telling that, one cannot tell which audio format is better by simply basing on the raw bits and compression. Instead, they believe that one should look at the encoding and decoding algorithm designs.

Dolby Digital supporters believe that, its codec is way more efficient, in fact, three times more efficient, than that of the DTS sound format.

The issue on whether which audio format has the highest quality in terms of sounds seems to be subjective. Audio formats like these two differ in data utilization; hence, it is not proper to have a direct comparison between the two or to any other formats. Also, it is up to the user which surround sound best suits his or her preferences as well as personality.

How to Set Up a Home Cinema Sound System

Many people who experience the cinema find that they would love to recreate the environment at home. However, no matter how big the desire, not everybody knows how to set up sound for a home cinema system. For these individuals, the below tips should be taken under consideration. With a little effort, a wonderful home cinema is possible.

1. When it comes to speakers, there is usually some kind of set up process that needs to be addressed. Many people who have owned speakers but have never really adjusted them in any way will likely be suffering from a sound system that is off the mark. If that is the case, something needs to be done to bring the speakers to a level that is more appropriate. This can be achieved by checking to see that the sound from each speaker reaches the listener's ears at the same time. The speakers should also be at the same volume level.

2. It can be hard to measure the level of sound coming from each speaker; for this reason, many home cinema enthusiasts choose to invest in a sound level meter. This item is not difficult to find, and any store that deals with electronics is likely to have it, either online or offline, at a reasonable price. Once obtained, the level meter should be set to "C." By doing this it proves a lot easier to make sure that the speakers are ready for the sound needs of most films.

3. Some people keep their speakers in areas such as on book shelves or on the floor. This is not a good idea, as the sound will not be level with the human ear. When this occurs, the quality of the sound is greatly lessened, even if the level of the sound is equal in all speakers. To combat this, they should be placed on special stands. If this is not possible or there is nothing in the budget to pay for this, a place that is as close to ear level as possible is preferred. Anybody who takes this method to heart is bound to notice the difference this can make.

4. Any speakers that are purchased to complete the home cinema package should match. That is not to say that they should be the exact same colour or a similar kind of cosmetic appearance, but they should be from the same manufacturer. The reasoning behind this tip is simple: if the speakers are the same, they are more likely to have the same sound. This can make checking the level a lot easier, and there will be fewer surprises.

Understanding the Different Home Theater Components

The idea of having your very own home system sounds very exciting because once you have all the necessary equipments, you won't need to go to the cinema as often as before unless you want to watch the latest movies right away. If you give it some time, you can enjoy a very similar experience in your own home. That is only the basic thing that you can do because you can do so much more depending on the different home theater components that connect to each other. Depending on the model of each component, your home cinema experience can vary. It is best to dive into the essentials so you know what components to get if you plan on building your own home cinema system.

HDTV

Every home theater system starts with the display and it is likely that you have one already. The question is if it is capable of handling the rest of the components of your home cinema system. You can tell if it is worthy if it has a fairly large display which can handle 1080p signals so you get the best possible picture in high definition. It must also have a sufficient amount of connection ports so you can hook up the rest of the components that you plan to purchase. HDMI ports are the ones you need to look out for because an HDMI cable carries both video and audio signals resulting to fewer wires in setting everything up. Some HDTVs have extra features like Internet capabilities or enhanced audio capabilities such as a built-in subwoofer.

AV Receiver

If you want a better sound experience or want greater expandability, you will have to get an AV receiver. The AV receiver acts as the brain of your home theater setup where it receives audio and video information from various sources. The receiver will then use its internal components and technologies to interpret that data and then finally send it out to your speakers and connected HDTV. Even if your HDTV lacks Internet features, you may be able to add that functionality by going for an AV receiver that can connect to the Internet.

Multimedia System

A multimedia system can have many faces. Many home theater systems have a Blu-ray player which is one example of a multimedia system. Getting a Blu-ray player allows you to playback Blu-ray discs which are basically higher quality than DVDs. They can also play DVDs so you won't have to get a separate system. If you prefer higher compatibility, you might want to go for a universal disc player. If you still have some room for an additional connection, you can also connect a gaming console as your second multimedia system. This gives you a gaming experience where you can play various games while enjoying the visuals coming out of your connected HDTV. Some computers can be considered as multimedia systems as well since you can outfit these computers with Blu-ray players and you can make use of their hard disks to store plenty of multimedia content.

Once you have your HDTV, the choice is yours on what you want to do next. Just take note of the functions you want in your system and scout out some matching components that give you exactly what you need so you won't overspend.

Speaker Wiring - Choosing Home Theater Speaker Wire

If you have a home theatre system or a pair of loudspeakers then you will want to get the best possible sound quality and maximum potential from your speaker system. The good news is that you can get a noticeable sound quality difference from your speakers with a minimal investment in good quality speaker wires. In this article we will show you the benefits and explain, in understandable language, the reasons for you to decide if you want to upgrade to the optimum speaker cable to enhance your audio listening experience and overall system sound quality.

Choosing home theatre speaker wire is not an exact science but there are simple rules that you should follow when selecting speaker wire for your audio and hifi system. Many high street hifi shops are happy to sell you expensive speaker cables which may or may not suit your audio system and it is possible to waste hundreds of pounds or dollars on wiring that is certainly unjustified in making any audible difference on most home hi-fi and home cinema systems.

So what should I look for when choosing home theater speaker wire - best tips?

Firstly, you should know how to choose the right gauge of speaker wiring and this is easily done by understanding that a thickness of wire is relative to the gauge or size of the copper conductor/s inside the speaker wire. The gauge number, which is available by the standard AWG or American Wire Gauge, identifies the cable thickness. However, you should note that the lower the gauge of the wire the thicker it will be.

The lower the AWG gauge number of a speaker wire indicates the capacity or ability to more better pass the electrical audio signal through the speaker wiring conductor. The general standard or accepted range of wiring is from 12 to 18 gauge.

When selecting the right gauge speaker wiring for your home theatre, cinema system or hifi then you should take into consideration the general reputation of a supplier and cable manufacturer and the level of sound quality you wish to achieve within your own budget. You will also need to work out the length of your speaker cable installation and how much cable is required to connect the speakers. If you are installing a home theatre and require surround sound system at the back of your room then longer cable runs will be required and you should understand that a long wires runs cause their own problems in relation to loss of sound quality due to electrical current loss through the cable.

As a rule of thumb it is advisable to select speaker wire gauge from the following guideline of distance vs cable gauge:

(1) Distance from hi-fi / home cinema system to loudspeaker (Less than 60 feet)=16 gauge.
(2) Distance from hi-fi / home theatre system to loudspeaker (Less than 60 to 180 feet)=14 gauge.
(3) Distance from hi-fi / home audio system to loudspeaker (More than 180 feet)=12 gauge.

With home theatre speaker wire it is worth considering thicker gauge cable as it can really help you achieve good sound quality results and also as thicker wire handles the electrical signal much better it reduces the resistance of the cable and therefore puts less strain on your amplifier or audio visual receiver thus giving longer life of your amplifier component and providing a better quality sound output which is delivered more easily to your speaker / surround sound system.

Thinner speaker wiring, generally less expensive, is obviously easier to work with when installing around skirting boards or under flooring and choosing a good quality 16 gauge speaker wire will still achieve fantastic results for rear surround sound speakers providing that the cables are made from good quality components and this extends also to the correct use of cable terminators on both amplifier and speaker ends.

home cinema 2011-2012

How to Choose the Right Home Cinema System

Home cinemas can be the perfect accompaniment to the gadget home. It can be difficult to decide where to begin as there is a multitude of options available and with technology advancing all the time an installation can be out of date almost and soon as it is installed. Ideally you want to future proof you system as far in advance as possible to ensure you get the maximum use out of your system. This is especially the case if you plan on spending thousand's of pounds on a system.

Here are some helpful tips on deciding what products to choose:

- TV's (3D, LCD, PLASMA)- What format do you wish to watch
What size TV do you want
- DVD- Standard, HD or blueray
- 3D player, necessary if you take the 3d route
- TV receiver- cable digital or freeview (you will probably have something already)but is this to be linked in
- Sound: dedicated home cinema system with surround sound
Simple hi fi system
- Remote control: all in one or separates

Ultimately the system that you choose will be dependent on the type of system you want and what your budget is. To begin with there are several options available for creating a home cinema system:

- DIY on a budget
- DIY for those with lots of money
- Professional Installation

DIY Home Cinema on a budget

It is perfectly possible to set up a good home cinema for little cost. For instance, if you are willing to consider a projector rather than a TV you can get a very big TV screen for as little as £300 which is also 3d ready. You can also pick up standard audio systems relatively cheaply and as long as you have a aux output on the hi fi can link the TV/projector to produce cinema level sound.

DIY for those with lots of money

This is essentially the same way as the above but can be of a higher specification dependent on the level of the budget you have.

How To Install A Home Cinema

The first way to set up the home cinema is to decide on what type of projector is going to be used, rather it be the overhead projector or just a standard DVD/VCR setup. If using the projector method the next thing that has to be thought about is what kind and what is the budget for this purchase, because if not careful this method could get really expensive quickly. However if the DVD/VCR method is chosen then comes the idea of what brand and again the budget to be planned for.

Next, after the first part comes the plan of what surround system is going to be used in the home cinema room. The best way for this to work is decided on quality over amount. This again comes with the price tag need to decide on spending a lot of money to get the best system or to make the home cinema better would it be good to have more speakers.

Third thing to take into consideration when setting up the home cinema is how large of a room is going to be used because this can really be a deciding factor in both of the topics above from what system to use and what speaker system would work best.

Fourth step in this design phase of setting up the home system would be to determine the T.V. size and how large it needs to be along with determining if HD is wanted in the setup of this new home cinema center.

Another thing that needs to be taken into consideration when going about setting up this system is really how much time am I going to be using it as this could act as a deciding factor on what type of system to buy, because if the system is going to be used everyday than its very important to get a better quality system which will support the longer hours of use, than a cheaper version would.

Consider Real Cinema Chairs for Your Home Cinema Seating

Home cinema seating has been around for a relatively long time now, and there are several different options for the customer who is looking to create their perfect home theatre.

One option, that many people go for (mainly because they see it as the only option) is the large recliner style cinema chair, similar to those famously sat on by Joey and Chandler in Friends! The main problem with this type of seating is its size. It is simply so large that in the typical home theatre garage conversion, you can only fit in a couple of chairs. It is also very expensive - a large reclining leather home cinema chair can cost upwards of £1,000.

Groups of these types of chairs are also available, but again they are expensive and take up an awful lot of space.

You can also use normal sofas and chairs, like you would have in a lounge. But this doesn't then distinguish your home theatre as a cinema - it just looks like a lounge without windows! And again, size is an issue, as you are unlikely to fit a lot of seats into the limited amount of space that you have. And if you want to get family and friends around for movie nights and big sporting events, the last thing you want to do is to ask people to sit on the floor.

There is now another option - just buy the same chairs that you sit on in your local multiplex cinema! There are several benefits to this. You can fit lots of these home cinema chairs into a relatively small space. Companies that sell these chairs also provide design and installation services, so they will tell you how many that you can fit into your home theatre room, and will fit them for you. This helps you to maximize every single inch of space.

If you are budget conscious when looking for home cinema seating, these home cinema chairs can also be a very good way of making a large saving, without compromising on style and comfort. You are even able to buy factory refurbished cinema seats that have previously been in multiplexes at massive discounts, from under £100 per chair. Imagine being able to fit out a 10-seater home theatre and spend less than £1000 on home cinema seating.

You then have a lot more spare cash to spend on your audio visual equipment. You might be considering a projector or a huge panel television for your cinema. And then you have to think about speakers. We've recently seen speakers by Amina that you can install into your wall and plaster over the top - the sound quality is amazing!

What Makes the Best Home Cinema Systems?

You want the best home cinema system. But what you get now is most certainly to become obsolete in five years. With the goal post constantly changing, how on Earth do you determine which is the best home cinema, amidst the heaps of brands and hundreds of different models?

There are 4 main considerations that are fundamental which can be used to narrow down your search and discover your best home cinema. Despite new features springing up, having the best of these 4 elements will guarantee that you have a very decent home cinema system in years to come. You will have to establish how much you are in a position to spend, but you need to still make use of these 4 criteria to identify the best home cinema in that price bracket.

1. Sound Format

The 2 most common audio formats employed to create cinematic surround audio are DTS and Dolby Digital.

DTS followers on the flip side believe that the higher the bit rate and the lower the compression setting, the better the sound effect. In this sense, DTS delivers higher data rate than any another audio formats. It also exhibits improved signal to noise ratio, a much wider range and far better manifestation of discreet detail in audio content.

To determine which is ideal for you, it's wise that you listen to both and judge it for yourself as audio quality is subjective.

2. Exterior Looks

Most home theatre system look decent, some as though an elegant piece of furniture to add to a room.

In this department, you have 2 options. Do you have a preference for a majestic looking system that makes its presence felt when you enter the room (like Samsung HT-C555 Tall Boy system) or do you prefer a less noticeable system with equally strong sound impact (such as Sony HT-IS100 with micro mini speakers as big as a golf ball)? Between these 2, there are numerous other models with varying sizes of speakers and subwoofer.

Technology had been so sophisticated that honestly, the size of the speakers are irrelevant to the audio output. Take Sony HT-IS100 for instance. Its speakers are tiny. Each barely the size of a golf ball. However, it pitches itself very well against big speakers and has earned itself a great deal of good reviews.

So which do you prefer?

3. Number on Inlets

Home theatre system now has numerous uses. Video gaming, watching cable TV, streaming internet entertainment etc etc.

In essence, the more inlets there is, the more devices you can connect to at the same time. This spares you having to swap between gadgets.

The best home cinema is the one that supply's sufficient HDMi inlets to meet your needs instead of you needing to purchase extra connector. Sony HT-IS100 and Onkyo HTX22HDX are very generous in this aspect providing you with 3 HDMi inlet and 1 outlet, whereas Samsung HT-C555 merely has 1 HDMi inlet.

4. Wireless Capability

Wi-Fi ready and Wi-Fi capability is a must. With no wires running in all places, your system will look even cooler and the room a lot neater.

Wi-Fi capability also means that you can conveniently and neatly connect your PC and other gadgets without having to move these other gadgets and clutter the home cinema system area.

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350

As majority of individuals will not present a comparison between several projectors, I will also make you aware of the importance of one thing and the other. The importance of any particular thing varies from person to person, when it comes to the home theater projector. One of the most significant aspects of this is the placement flexibility of the projector that can be accommodated in a particular budget range.

In case you need to pay for the installation of ceiling to someone, you can avail the option of paying half of this amount to the projector installation, only! When it comes to Epson 8350, which is accompanied with the power lens of 2.1 zoom capacity, and horizontal and vertical lens shift ability, you can skip this hassle. This means that you are able to place the projector at a bookshelf on a side of the room, which is ten to fifteen feet away from the projection screen or wall. Thereby, you are able to skip off the usual hassles and extra work of any other projector installation.

Now, another remarkable feature of Epson projector is the brightness aspect, which makes you able to enjoy a clear and distinguishable view in lights turned on! This can also serve as a substitute for a sixty inch television of flat panel that has modest controls for light. When you turn off the lights, you can then stretch the image distance to a good 200 inches far. As an addition, I would like to share that I have never laid hands on a screen, neither have I used a white colored wall ever. I use a tan colored wall and the image quality is great, always.

One of the most desirable features that earn this projector a distinguishable place is 1080 pixel resolution. Now, this particular feature definitely enhances the image quality to some extent, however, I was a bit baffled because this difference meant less to me. However, in short, the projector served my work purpose well, and I did not have to bring any changes to the settings that were default. There are several input options, apart from the HDMI. It also has a lighted remote control that is just an awesome addition. However, there is one single feature that is not this desirable; this feature is the large size of this projector. So, if you are in search of a projector that you may be able to carry around, then this may be not a desirable choice. However, for the home users, this Epson 8350 is a hard candidate to be beaten by others!

home cinema design home interior 2011

Design Your Own Home Cinema System - 10 Steps to Creating the Cinema of Your Dreams

So you've finally made the decision to create your own dedicated home cinema system. You've convinced your partner that it's ok to spend that kind of money and have agreed that they too can go and buy whatever they have always wanted. Everything is looking good and the green light is on but then you start to think about all the different design elements that make up a cinema and you start to get overwhelmed with the correct order and the amount of budget you should allocate for each section. You check online and just seem to find so many different conflicting views and now you're not even sure if you should even get started because your mind is so scrambled that you're not sure where to begin.

Well, if the above story sounds familiar to you then this article will put you at ease. Maybe you have just decided to build your own home cinema system or perhaps you thought about it before but just weren't sure where to begin and so decided to leave it. If any of this rings true with you then I am pleased to say that I can give you my personal experience to allow you to make the best home cinema system you can based on your budget.

So here are my 10 steps to creating the home cinema of your dreams.

Each of these steps should be performed in this order to get the best out of the available budget and room space you have.

Internal and External Shell and Structure

1. Start with the end in mind

Like any construction project you need to have a good vision of what the end is going to look like before you even start. This means you should at the very minimum have some hand drawn sketches of the style, size and shape you are going for. Now this will naturally be dictated by the available space you have to work with but there is definitely some room here for artistic flare here so really tap into your mind and pull out what your dream home cinema system will eventually look like. Remember, this is probably something you are only going to do once so make sure it lives up to all your expectations and dreams.

Remember that what you see is always what you get so the clearer your vision is, the better the end product will be. Do not rush through or overlook this step, it is probably the most important part of the whole process.

2. Room size and shape

Now that you have your ideas in mind and a clear picture of what you want to achieve you can start to get down to some real design. Now I strongly suggest you use some kind of 3D software here to make sure you get really accurate measurements and implementation of your design ideas. You could also just use a 2D CAD (Computer Aided Design) package but it's usually much nicer and easier to keep your vision in mind if you can work in 3D.

Now this may scare a lot of you off but with the technology available today you can find some very inexpensive design packages that are really user friendly so even if you have had no computer design experience before you will be able to pick it up fairly quickly.

Full room acoustic design is a very in depth subject and beyond the scope of this article but I recommend you do your due diligence on this area and get a basic knowledge of how audio is transmitted before progressing. A good room design at this stage will save you lots of money further down the line when it comes to equipment choices.

In essence you want to avoid any hard surfaces that will reflect sound and go for surfaces that absorb as much as possible. I'm sure you've all been inside a church and noticed how bad the acoustics are and how much it echoes. Well, these are things that you really want to avoid in your home cinema system as they will dramatically affect the quality of your sound reproduction.

3. Sound absorption-external

External sound absorption refers to the sound that will leak out of your cinema during its use. This basically translates to making sure you don't wake up the neighbours when you have your home cinema system cranked up to volume 10. Even if you don't have neighbours you will still want to make sure the system can be used late at night when others may be trying to sleep.

You can start off very basic with some fibre glass insulation around the entire outside structure of the room or placed between a cavity wall. This is very inexpensive and works really well. If you want to get really clever you can build a room within a room by putting up a partition shell and fixing it to the outside structure with rubber washers. This will isolate the sound very well and keep most of it internal.

4. Sound absorption-internal

Internal sound absorption deals with the sounds that bounce around inside your cinema. These sounds will originate mainly from the speakers and will be reflected by the different materials in the room. Essentially you want to design your room so that you have internal absorbers to remove most of the reflections so that you only have direct sound coming to you from the speakers. In some cases such as the surround speakers you will want to have multiple reflections but the full scope of this design is too much for this article. Do your due diligence here and it will pay off in reduced costs later on.

Equipment Choice and Levels

5. Sound levels-speaker and amplifier choice

Most people will be surprised to see that speaker choice has only appeared at number five and not sooner but if you have really read and understood the previous four items and done your due diligence on them then it will be no surprise at all. The majority of bad quality home cinema systems are due to poor room design and not the speakers or other equipment. If you get the room design right then you are 80% there already.

There are many different speaker brands on the market and you will need to get active and out to your local dealers who can demonstrate different packages side by side. Most of this decision will come down to your budget and personal preference. Don't think however that you have to spend a huge amount of money here. Providing you got the room design right then you will get a great sound out of most systems.

6. Visual requirements-projector and screen size

The screen size will mainly be determined by your available room width. You will need to make sure that the main seating area is approximately 2.5x the width of the screen back to give the best visual performance. This means that if your screen is 1 meter wide then your main seating area should be about 2.5 meters back. The screen height should be positioned so that the bottom of the screen is approximately 850mm from floor level. This will prevent head fatigue and give the best performance.

The choice of projector again will be dictated by your budget and you should go and see your local dealer once more to see different models side by side to find one you are happy with.

7. Kinesthetic requirements-seating and movement

The choice of seating should deal with comfort first and look second. Remember, you are going to be sitting down here for a long while over the course of a year so make sure you pick seating which is designed for this kind of use.

If your budget allows you can now get moving seats which have hydraulics that shake them around in time with the movie. This can be an incredible experience but also a very expensive one.

8. Sources and cabling

In general your choice of sources should be high definition and the best that your budget will allow. A Blu-ray player and high definition broadcast or satellite receive should be a minimum requirement but it's also nice to add games consoles and other such devices to get the best out of your home cinema system.

Cabling should be of a good quality but not over the top. We personally work at around 10% of the cost of the equipment should be spend on cabling.

Aesthetics

9. Interior design

This is very much a personal preference and so I will leave this area entirely up to you. We have designed many home cinema systems, some which have movie posters all over the walls and authentic cinema carpet and others which have an Art Deco style and genuine arts from the period; it's totally up to you. Just make sure you don't compromise the acoustic design in the process.

10. Light levels

Naturally the cinema should be as dark as possible during usage so you will want to make sure that there is no natural light coming in by either having no windows at all or having black out blinds that can be placed in front of them when in use. Low level lighting is always recommended for health and safety reasons and also a little bit of artistic flare using colour can really enhance the whole experience.

Afterthoughts

There are several other considerations that you may want to look at when designing your home cinema system such as HVAC, remote controls and automation but this will depend on your budget and personal preference so I shall again leave this up to you.

Remember that this is just a general overview of the design and each area should have its own due diligence performed before undertaking any home cinema system design such as this.

new home interior

Taking a Look at Home Interior Trends of 2009

Are you wondering what is new for home interior trends in '09? Perhaps you are looking to prep your house to sell, building a new property from scratch, expanding to a new office complex or you just need a change of scenery. Interior design jobs encompass a range of diverse styles, themes and tastes, although there are some clear trends emerging now that builders are allowing clients so many customizable options. This year, open floor plans will likely continue to flourish, along with more practical ideas to combine energy efficiency and frugality in a tasteful way.

Homes from the 1800s to early 1900s were special in that the home designs of large family estates were internally divided to create distinct environments. For instance, home owners had practical servant's quarters on the lower level floors near the kitchen, whereas the family's bedrooms were all situated upstairs. A powder room was often found downstairs and an en-suite bathroom was just off the parent's master bath. The children often lived down a hallway and in their own separate quarter of the house, so the parents could have a bit of privacy and reprieve.

In some instances, a carriage house held the in laws or guests. This is a home interior trend that's coming back for 2009, with second or third bedroom suites and added bathrooms increasing in popularity. "Buyers are saying, let's put kids over here to one side to keep things quiet for parents or in-laws who will be moving in with them," explains Kyle Lindsey, owner of Kyle Lindsey Custom Homes. These secondary suites are typically 300-400 square-feet with full bathrooms and occasional sitting rooms in an isolated section of the house, Lindsey adds.

Another home interior trend that will proliferate into 2009 is green, sustainable building and modifications, builders agree. "People are trying to save money wherever they can, building to higher energy standards and building green to save water and electricity," admonishes Bob Weiss, executive VP for Kentucky Homebuilders. Many homeowners are trading in wall-to-wall carpets for recycled wood.

TechShield radiant barrier roof decking, which reflects heat away from attics, is purchased by 98% of new home buyers in markets like San Antonio, where the sun beats down all day long, driving up air conditioning costs. Low VOC paint, which emits far less fumes than traditional paints, has become the standard. Spray foam insulation, energy efficient lighting, air circulation systems and insulating window coatings are a few of the eco-friendly interior design trends to look out for.

Any architect interior designer will tell you that the home interior vibe is all in the finishing touches: wall finishes, paint, flooring, countertops. These nuances can draw home owners in or leave them feeling discordant. John Friesenhahn of Imagine Homes says native rock and brick exteriors are classic choices, but home owners are looking for a little more color on their interiors. He says Silestone countertops offer a wide range of colors.

Last year's mocha and sage green paint colors will be traded in for mustard yellow and grassy greens. Allergen-proof, easy-to-clean and natural flooring is in this year too. High-end homes will see Italian mosaic tiles, travertine and porcelain. Dark exotic wood cabinetry became popular in 2008 and will continue as an interior design kitchen and bedroom staple throughout 2009.

Indian Style Styling For Your Home Interiors

Each time people think of home interior design, they will think of hiring an interior designer. Hiring a professional can be really expensive, but now you can easily turn your house into the home of your dreams on minimum budget. But in order to do that, you need to avoid these five common interior design mistakes:

1. Over furnishing a room

It is important that you measure the dimension of the room you want to furnish before buying any furniture pieces. People tend to buy furniture that is too big for the room, which will only make it feel stuffy and crowded. Try to limit the number of pieces in the room.

2. Hanging artwork too high on the wall

Do not hang paintings or portraits too high, they should be hung at approximately eye level. But of course, eye level is different for different people. The rule of thumb is to hang the artwork 66"-72" (165-180 cm) from the floor. If the artwork is big, you can hang it higher, but still around the midpoint of the wall. If there you want to hang a picture above a sofa, the bottom of the frame should be 6"-8" (15-20 cm) on top of the furniture piece.

3. Disorganization

People often keep things that they don't really use, and at times they just leave stuff lying everywhere around the room. Surely you don't want a room that looks messy or stuffy. Try to get rid of unwanted or unused items and store the things you want to keep in a box or other storage unit. You will be surprised at how spacious your room can be.

4. Quantity versus quality

When decorating your home interior, more stuff does not necessarily mean better. It is important to get only what you absolutely love, and avoid cheap art. It does not have to be overly expensive, but it has to be the best that you can afford. High quality artwork or furniture will last longer and has good resale value if you choose to sell it later on.

5. Insufficient lighting

People rarely pay attention to the lighting in a room and they tend to utilize only one overhead light source. You should utilize several light sources instead. They are not only intended for lighting purposes, but they can help create an atmosphere in a room as well. You can add some table lamps in your study for reading books or a chandelier in the living room for a luxurious ambience.

Indian Style Styling For Your Home Interiors

India has a huge variety of cultures, with each having its own unique style in terms of interior decor. In this article series, we will be taking a peek at what each Indian culture has to offer in terms of unique Indian home interior designs.

We will start the series with the northern most Indian state of Kashmir.

Kashmiri Home Interior Design

The northernmost state of the country may be currently embroiled in controversy, but its rich cultural heritage is something unique and deeply traditional. Those having an access to the interiors of Kashmir are full time ambassadors of its natural beauty as well as the welcoming nature of its people.

Kashmir homes are mostly wooden, and they are designed in a way so as to keep out the cold. Warm woolen carpets are essential parts of any Kashmiri home. They are a way of keeping away the cold of the floor. When entering a Kashmiri home, it is considered essential to remove any footwear outside so as not to dirty the carpets.

The seating arrangement in a traditional Kashmiri village household is strictly on the ground. Colorful woolen carpets adorn the seating area, and often a separate mat is placed to mark the sitting spot. A visitor may be offered a cushion to sit on depending on the degree of regard he or she is supposed to be given.

In modern Kashmiri homes sofas and sitting chairs have caught the fancy of the local populace, but by and large the sitting arrangement on the floor is the preferred one.

Heavy, thick, dark curtains are the norm in most Kashmir Indian home interiors. Again, the purpose is to keep out the cold. Do not be surprised on being offered a 'Kangri' the moment you take a seat in the Kashmiri home to help you keep warm. This Kangri is nothing but a clay pot filled with coal embers to keep you warm, the same that almost every Kashmiri is found carrying in winters. You would also immediately be offered some of the best blankets in the home to cover your legs, should you feel the need.

Traditional embroidered curtains of Kashmir, called namda, are made of thick white cotton cloth, embroidered with bold designs of pretty and colorful wool. The same cloth is also often used as bedspreads and even for making cushion covers etc. You can generally find this at any Kashmiri showroom or outlet in Kashmir.

The eating area in a traditional Kashmiri home also has the seating on the ground. The ladies of the house will serve hot meals and have their own meals later. In keeping with Muslim traditions of sharing meals, three or four people eat from a single common plate. Of course, the tradition difference of visitors is kept in mind and generally they are offered independent plates.

Finding Luxurious Home Interior Decor On A Budget

Our homes aren't only places to live but they are places where we raise our families, have friends over and basically it's a place that we call our own. Since we want our homes to be a reflection of who we are, we want our home interior decor to echo that reflection in every room. By making our homes a reflection of our style and our preferences, we create a place we want to be in, but spending a lot of money on the accessories for our home isn't something we really want to do. Finding home decor on a budget means careful shopping and making sure we're actually buying things we want.

As one enters our homes, one of the first things they'll become aware of is whatever we have hanging on our walls. The artwork we have hanging up is one of the main aspects of what defines who we are and what our preferences are. Regardless of whether we've got pictures of the flag, birds, a picture of the Hollywood sign or even flowers, we've created an environment we enjoy being in. With great prints available from twenty to a hundred dollars, your home interior decor not only will look awesome but doesn't have to be expensive at all.

Organizational ideas for other rooms in our home make for great decor as well. Whether it's a roll-top desk organizer for the home office or a counter organizer for the kitchen counter, you'll find not only a lot of benefits but a lot of style as well with these great home interior decor. Not only do these look great but it gives us a place to put everything we need to have handy and enables us to find things quickly. To help organize the laundry rooms there are great looking and very inexpensive shelves that fit behind the washer and dryer to keep supplies in a handy location. While not necessarily a stylistic point, everyone enjoys being in an environment where everything is neat and clean.

There are lots of decorating ideas for your home that are definitely not expensive. Mats and runners can be had for $20 or less, wreaths and other wall hangings are prices similarly and even floral arrangements and pillows for couches and chairs are inexpensive ways to take the our home accents to the next level. Visitors will appreciate all the thought and effort you put into your home interior decor but the people who will appreciate it the most will be you and your family.

home interior 2011

Home Interior Decorating Ideas

If you are thinking of redecorating your home, you are probably searching around for some home interior decorating ideas. Redecorating presents a great chance to express yourself by displaying your style and interests. You do this by matching colours, textiles, styles and artwork. The combinations of possibilities in home interior decorating are really endless. No two houses ever have look the same by accident.

It would be easy to redecorate and adopt any home interior decorating styles if money were not a restraint. Therefore, the question for most people is how to redecorate the home within a budget. You can get home interior decorating ideas from the many interior design programmes on TV or by buying a couple of the home interior design magazines. The problem with the magazines, more so than with the TV programmes, is that they tend to show ideas that price thousands of dollars.

The Net is another source of realistic home interior decorating ideas that ordinary people can afford. The prices of the items used in the Internet displays are normally a lot more affordable too. The Net is also a good way of comparing the various broad-swathe styles. Styles such as country, modern, traditional, Mediterranean, Provencal, minimalist et cetera.

If you like the older styles such as country, primitive, Provencal or traditional, darker, warmer colours are the best. These colours go well with fabrics and old (style), wooden furniture. Wall hangings, paintings of country scenes, curtains and plenty of throw cushions are a feature of this style of interior design. Autumn colours go well together to produce a warm, friendly, cozy atmosphere.

Modern, minimalist and Mediterranean styles tend to use brighter colours whites and off-whites like magnolia are de rigeur. Home interior decorating ideas for these styles incorporate a lack of clutter and plenty of free space and light.

The walls ought to have one or two pieces of art rather than the six to ten of the older styles. Leather furniture fits in well here: white or black, with one contrasting throw cushion per seating place. A white cushion on a black sofa and visa-versa.

However, there is nothing wrong with you mixing these style. This often occurs anyway, especially if people give you furniture or you inherit it. If you strive to combine different pieces of furniture which obviously come from drastically different styles, you will have to have something to bridge the gap between them, so to speak. This can be done quite easily with materials such as throw cushions, wall hangings like tapestries, rugs and carpets.

The throw cushions do not all have to match. In fact, in the old days it was very unlikely that all the cushions or pillows in a room would all be the same, because cushions were often made from off-cuts of fabric from other projects. A range of different throw cushions can help you combine styles quite easily. Another home interior decorating idea, is to fill an old cabinet with more modern pieces of glass and china.

Simple Home Interior Design Tips For Everyone

The way our home looks says a lot about who we are and even more about our personalities, that's why the way in which we arrange our home interiors are very important in how we live our lives. We live in a fast moving world where we are bombarded with what we should wear, eat and put in our homes but rarely do we have the time to give thought to the facts that maybe how we arrange our rooms just might have an effect on or moods, creativity, energy levels and who knows what else. Maybe it's time to take a serious look at ourselves and our home interiors.

There are a few simple ways in which we can spruce up our home life and our home interior design by focusing on some points that are very important:

• Harmony - All the rooms in our home need to have a strong sense of harmony to them.

• Focus Points - Rooms that have a center focus point that draws your attention will flow better. Things like your art displays, an architectural wall piece or even figurines are good suggestions.

• Balance - This is successfully done by balancing the rooms' visual weight and subtly spreading it out to the other parts of the room.

• Color - This should be an obvious one. Using positive colors can shift energies around and make the world of difference. A candle or two can be used to dramatic effect.

• Proportion and Scale - Use only furniture and items that complement the total size of the room, not dwarf it or throw it out of proportion.

• Rhythm - Create the illusion of visual stimulation through movement by arranging your room in such a way that the viewer's eye keeps moving around from point to point. This should not be confused with scattering things all around.

Home interior decor and design is often a highly sensitive subject as many people feel that they really know what they are doing but the result is quite the contrary. Items that you already own like candles and figurines can be easily re-arranged and placed on shelves and corners to create impressive dramatic effects and also improve lighting in areas that are often neglected due to obstructions or whichever.

The correct use of lighting in the home has the potential to literally transform any old lounge or study into a vibrant and stimulating room, just try it and see. Experimentation is the key and you won't know if you don't try.

If you want to try and mimic popular styles then consider looking at some alternative ideas for home interiors inspiration. Some of the most popular home interior designs would include; Asian, Arty interior, Gothic, Traditional, Mediterranean, Tropical and of course Modern interior designs.

Why Read A Home Interiors Blog?

A home is a place where you should be able to relax, feel cozy, and comfortable more than anywhere else in the world. In order for this to be possible, you need to be in constant touch with a home interiors blog for getting new ideas. It does not matter whether your home is a mansion or a small apartment but it should be well-decorated with a vibrant mood throughout. It should also be aesthetically pleasing so that anyone coming in from outside will get a positive feeling. Although the decorations need not be very expensive, the home decor ideas should be effective and innovative.

People who can afford to spend money usually engage professional home interior designers to decorate their homes. Although they might do a good job, the decor might not represent the real personality and aspirations of the home owner. There are many people who plan and execute their own interior design ideas. It is not an easy job and it is always better to look around for ideas elsewhere.

Reading Online Home Interior Blogs

You can get the best ideas and suggestions by reading home interiors blog and such ideas are also available on some websites. They offer ideas regarding various aspects of home decoration such as selection of curtains and what color combinations to use on the walls. You will also get ideas about where to get the necessary materials such as made to measure curtains. The interior design ideas blog will also give you useful tips to decorate your home in such a way that your winter fuel bills are minimized and your home is more comfortable during the winter season.

Blogs are a great way of expressing your opinion and offer information on many topics. Similarly, reading other people's blogs will help you gather information about things that you might desire to know. You also get to read reviews regarding a product or a service and you can determine whether it will be wise to go in for it. A decorating ideas blog will give you great ideas on how to decorate your home beautifully and economically.

Other sources for Getting Decoration Ideas

The other source from where you can get great home decoration ideas is by watching television. You will find that several channels give valuable suggestions for redesigning or redecorating your home, room by room. The only way to gain from these shows is to either make notes at the time of the show or to record it for future viewing.

You can also consult some books for decorating your homes. The basic advantage of books is that you can find all the ideas properly documented in them. By looking at and studying the pictures or sketches, you can get a fair idea of what is being suggested.

Whether you read a home interiors blog or whether you get home decoration ideas from a television show or a book, it is important to assess whether the idea will match the existing interiors of your home. If a decoration idea looks nice on television or if it is recommended in a home interiors blog, it does not mean that it will go well with your home decor.

Consult A Patio Buying Guide Before You Buy A Commercial Patio Umbrella

You can put any type of outdoor umbrella in your commercial space, but if you ask experts, they will advise you to get only those umbrellas, which have least movable parts. A commercial patio umbrella looks just like an ordinary umbrella, but if you will look minutely, you will find that it is devoid of all the user-friendly mechanisms that make the others so very interesting. In short, a commercial patio umbrella should:

• Have solid pole without any coupling
• Not have cranks, tilts or pulleys
• Preferably have commercial grade fiberglass ribs
• Have thick and yet bright canopy

Umbrellas with couplings are convenient; they make transportation and storage easier, but at the same time, they make the umbrella more prone to breakage. You must admit that in public places, such umbrellas can be quite dangerous and so for the sake of public safety and reputation of your establishment, you should look for solid pole umbrellas only. Similarly, devices like cranks, tilts or pulleys can also compromise public safety and so you should avoid them too.

However, public safety is not the last word. The material used in the manufacture of the umbrella ribs has no effect on it. Here fiberglass ribs are recommended simply because such ribs last four to five times longer than those made from wood or aluminium do. That is because such fiberglass ribs do not fight the wind, but just bend to let it pass and once it does that, the ribs swing back to their original position. This makes the umbrellas last longer. You after all cannot pack your umbrella and go inside as soon as a strong wind starts blowing, if it is commercial space.

Pay attention to the canopy fabric too. Remember, your umbrella will be there to protect your clients as much from the ultra violet rays as from light precipitation round the year from morning until evening. This naturally will have tremendous adverse affect on the fabric. Make sure that the fabric is not only strong enough to withstand that, but also have the capability to resist fade and tear. Of course, better quality fabric may translate into higher price, but that you should not grudge.

Next, let us have a discussion on the shape and size of the umbrella. Earlier, such umbrellas had round canopies only. However, they now come in all shapes. For a rectangle table, you now can buy a rectangle umbrella. There are oval and square umbrellas as well. Just have a look at the table it is supposed to be covering before you pick it up.

Rectangle umbrellas have become more popular not only because patio tables are mostly rectangle, but also because such umbrellas provide more shade for your relaxing patrons. You can find such an umbrella in both the market umbrella as well as offset umbrella category. If you are not aware, the umbrellas that hold the canopy at the centre belong to the first category and those umbrellas that hold the umbrella canopy from the side with the help of an offset belong to the later group.

Well if I have been able to confuse you more, let me say it plainly, the traditional outdoor umbrellas that we have always seen erected at outdoor cafes, swimming and beaches are called market umbrella. That is probably because they originated in the market place not only to provide shade to the customers, but also as a vehicle for advertisement of products. It is only later that such umbrellas started being used in our porches, backyards or decks. They have their pole at the centre and balance the canopy around it from below. The offset umbrellas on the other hand has its pole at the side and it mostly holds the canopy from above with the help of an offset (and hence the name).

You need to have a look at the bistro tables to decide on the size too. In general, the shade length should be four to five feet larger than the area to be shaded. While a 30" bistro table must have 6' umbrella shade a 6' rectangle table must have 11' umbrella shade. Also, to make the umbrella stable, make sure that the umbrella stand is suitable for the shade length. In fact, buying an outdoor umbrella is not very easy process. Consult the umbrella-buying guides available free of cost on many websites before you buy the umbrella. That way, you are sure to get the best your money could buy.

Home Interiors - Clients Guide No1 - Interior Designer / Interior Decorator - What's the Difference?

"Do you do Curtains & Cushions?" As a professional Interior Designer that's the phone call we dread to receive!

It happens more than you may think; I then have to go on to explain (without sounding patronising) what this person really needs is an Interior Decorator, this will then no doubt follow-on with me having to further explain what the differences are between the two disciplines and try to steer them in an appropriate direction.

I don't blame these people for getting the two mixed up; the general public have been feed hours and hour of TV "instant" make-over programmes and continuous glossy magazine features all under the misleading label of Interior Design. Also this has prompted those in the Interior Decoration and Soft Furnishing business to elevate their tile to Interior Designers; again I don't blame them for doing this, it makes good business sense to up sell yourself. But the lines have become blurred as to what these two very different services offer - there is a market for the two approaches, but where confusion resides with the customer this has to be a bad thing!

So here with this Home Interiors - Client's Guide - series of articles I will address the key aspects for client's that have a Interior Design project in mind as to how they should go about searching for a Designer, what to look for, how they work and charge, how to get the best out of them and how a project gets off the ground to become a finished built reality.

ABOUT HOME INTERIOR DESIGN

Home Interior Design is not to be confused with Home Interior Decoration, as this tends to be only a skin-deep treatment to give a style change or "make-over" to a property. Home/Residential/Domestic Interior Design (whatever one may call it) is a much more fundamental approach to the way you live in a property and how a building can be made to work for the individual owners needs. This will not be just a coat of paint (some new curtains and cushions) it is likely to start with a in-depth rethink at how the property is planned and may involve some considerable changes put in place before one even thinks of decorations.

Interior Designers who specialize in Home Design can be viewed as Interior Architects, and their abilities should cover all aspects of building and architectural work to a property included minor/major structural alterations and building extensions etc. They will go on to cover all the "decoration" elements such as colours, finishes and furnishings, but this is not necessarily the starting point for a project. Kitchens, Bathrooms, Staircases etc are some of the core planning elements that can structurally and technically change a buildings layout; the flow and shape of a property can change dramatically when approaching these areas.

All the technical services that make up an Interior Design project will be undertaken by the Designer; Electrics, Lighting, Plumbing, Heating and Ventilation etc, all are fundamental that need to be design-in at the early stages of a scheme, even if it is just the principles of how these may work. It is becoming even more important these days with the opportunity for client to add-in to their project energy efficiency solutions for the whole building.

Many Clients only have a very basic idea or framework of what they wish from a project; it is however the Designers role to gain that information and drawer out of the Client the full details of their requirements, this then forming the project brief. This can be a very personal experience with the Designer asking questions on how you live now and changes you wish to make to your life style. Be as open as you can as this forms an important foundation for any new design, remember that the Designer is designing for you and not for them, so they need to know how YOU tick!

For most Clients they really enjoy this consultation, as this may be the first time that they have truly thought about their life style and what they really need from the project, apart from a floor, walls and ceiling. A good Designer will have the talents of a "pick pocket", you will not know that so much information has been taken from you until you see the first concept design, and then you will realise that the smallest details have been included that reflects you and your life style.

HOW DO YOU FIND A GOOD DESIGNER

Personal recommendations are always good, but remember, the Designer has designed for the person who gave you the recommendation, so even if their project is not to your taste this does not necessarily mean that the Designer cannot design to your taste. If they were satisfied that the Designer produced a sound creative solution that matched their brief, then this Designer would more than likely be able to satisfy your project requirements.

Web Sites are a good way of looking at a Designers portfolio of work without making direct contact. Use the search engines and directories to track Designers that are within the broad area to where you live. It is no good having a Designer from Scotland if you live in London, and vice a verse, so aim relatively local of around a 50 mile search radius! Also be aware of companies that call themselves Interior Designers, but are really Home Furnishing companies and they are only really interested in selling from their shop or showroom. Offers of "free design service" will always have a sales agenda behind it. A true Design Consultant will be totally independent of any affiliated retail business and will use the global market to source what is right for your project, no commission or incentives involved.

Professional Bodies such as The Chartered Society of Designers have registers of designers in your area and can be contacted for a list. They also have a web site at you could visit. The Chartered Society of Designers is a body that vets individual designers to make sure they meet a professional standard, it starts with a student quantification "Diploma Member" and then "Member" (MCSD), and the highest level is "Fellow" (FCSD) and you should look for these qualifications or similar from your Designer.